Sauber has signed Gabriel Bortoleto to associate Nico Hulkenberg within the 2025 Components 1 season, the veteran and rookie successfully teaming up sooner or later Audi squad.
Bortoleto had been courted by the Hinwil-based outfit for a while, along with his ties to McLaren as an academy member the primary impediment to a deal.
McLaren workforce principal Andrea Stella nevertheless made clear that he wouldn’t stand in his protege’s means if there have been an opportunity for him to clinch a race drive.
Sauber subsequently made the transfer for the 20-year-old Brazilian, having introduced earlier on Wednesday that incumbents Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu had been set to go away the workforce.
“This is among the most fun tasks in motorsport, if not in all of sports activities,” Bortoleto mentioned. “Becoming a member of a workforce that mixes the wealthy motorsport historical past of Sauber and Audi is a real honour.
“Past merely being a member, I goal to develop with this bold challenge and attain the top of motorsport. I’m extremely grateful for the chance given to me by the workforce and for the possibility to work alongside an skilled driver like Nico.
“Each applications have a confirmed observe report of nurturing younger expertise, and I’m assured that collectively, we are going to write our personal success story.”
Gabriel Bortoleto, Invicta Racing
Picture by: Andrew Ferraro
Bortoleto has impressed within the final two years, profitable the FIA F3 championship as a rookie in 2023. The Invicta Racing driver is now main the Components 2 standings with solely two wins to his title however his top-six consistency proving essential.
“Gabriel has already demonstrated within the junior classes that he has what it takes to be a profitable driver,” Mattia Binotto, COO and CTO of Sauber Motorsport, identified. “We’re very happy that he’ll turn into a workforce member of Sauber and Audi.
“Along with Gabriel, we’re on a journey in direction of success, and we are going to evolve right into a unified drive to form a brand new period for Audi in motorsport. Nico and Gabriel signify the best mixture of expertise and youth, positioning us strongly for the longer term.”
Chairman of the Sauber Motorsport board Gernot Doellner added: “Led by Mattia, Audi’s Components 1 challenge is making nice progress in lots of areas. The signing of the second driver is one other milestone.
“We’re at the moment witnessing a generational shift in Components One, with younger drivers instantly making an affect. By signing Gabriel Bortoleto, we’ve secured one among these high skills. His signing underscores Audi’s long-term technique and dedication to Components 1.”
Sauber is at the moment going by way of its first point-less Components 1 season since 2014, with the workforce’s finest outcome being Zhou’s Eleventh-place end within the Bahrain season opener.
